Read the following sentence and identify the part that contains an error, or select "No error" if the sentence is correct: "I waited for her return with growing unease."

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: No error

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Error spotting questions require you to examine a sentence piece by piece and decide whether any segment contains a grammatical or usage error. In this sentence, "I waited for her return with growing unease", each part expresses a simple, standard idea in correct English. The challenge is to recognise that no change is necessary and confidently select "No error".


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Full sentence: "I waited for her return with growing unease."
  • Parts: (a) I waited, (b) for her return, (c) with growing unease, (d) No error.
  • We must check tense, prepositions, noun phrases, and overall meaning.
  • We assume a simple narrative context where the speaker is describing a past situation.


Concept / Approach:
The verb "wait" normally takes the preposition "for" when we specify what or whom we wait for, as in "wait for the bus" or "wait for her return". The phrase "her return" is a correct noun phrase. The prepositional phrase "with growing unease" correctly indicates the manner or emotional state during the waiting. The simple past "I waited" fits with the time reference, making the sentence grammatically complete and natural.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine part (a): "I waited." This is a correctly formed subject + verb structure in the simple past tense.Step 2: Examine part (b): "for her return." The preposition "for" is the correct choice after "waited", and "her return" is a valid noun phrase referring to the event of her coming back.Step 3: Examine part (c): "with growing unease." This correctly uses "with" to indicate the accompanying emotional state, and the phrase "growing unease" is idiomatic, meaning that unease was increasing.Step 4: Combine all parts: "I waited for her return with growing unease." The sentence is clear, grammatically correct, and stylistically natural.Step 5: Since no part contains an error, select option (d) "No error".


Verification / Alternative check:
We can compare the sentence with similar standard constructions: "I waited for the train with growing impatience", "She waited for the results with growing anxiety". All follow the same pattern: subject + waited + for + noun phrase + with + descriptive noun phrase. The structure in the given sentence matches this pattern exactly. If we tried to "correct" it, we would either add unnecessary words or introduce real errors, such as replacing "for" with "to", which would make the sentence wrong.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Marking any of the segments (a), (b), or (c) as erroneous would require us to propose an actual grammatical mistake, but none exists. "I waited" is correct; "for her return" uses the right preposition and noun phrase; "with growing unease" is a natural expression. Therefore, the only accurate choice is "No error".


Common Pitfalls:
Some students feel that every error-spotting question must contain a mistake and therefore avoid choosing "No error". This leads them to invent imaginary problems, such as disliking the style or overthinking prepositions. A better approach is to check each segment calmly against known patterns. If everything is correct, accept that the exam sometimes tests your ability to recognise a well-formed sentence. Do not change what is already correct.


Final Answer:
The sentence is grammatically correct; the right choice is "No error".

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